WEST AFRICA MEETS WALES IN N’FAMADY’S MUSIC
NEWLY ANNOUNCED BALAFÔ DOUMA UK TOUR IN FALL 2022

Photo Credit: Andrew Lewis/JMP
Six Shooter Inc. (management company) welcomes N’famady Kouyaté to the artist roster, managed by Chris Wynters. Originally from Guinea, now based in Wales, N’famady’s dazzling balafon playing is the foundation of his exuberant and skilful mix of West African Mandingue with jazz, pop and beyond.
N’famady recently announced a substantial UK headline tour in Oct-Nov 2022, which adds to a busy spring and summer festival season. The past year, N’famady has been on a whirlwind breakout trajectory, with buzz, opportunity and excitement for the future.
“I first saw N’famady perform in an online showcase put on by some friends of mine at Focus Wales, a Covid era discovery,” says Wynters. “I was instantly blown away by his skill as a player and his charm as a performer. We met first over Zoom and have now met in person. It was wonderful to finally see him perform live in Glasgow last month, in front of a sold-out crowd at Theatre Royal, part of the excellent programming at Celtic Connections.”
N’famady released his debut EP, Aros I Fi Yna, in June 2021. Recorded in legendary Rockfield Studios, with guest appearances from Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach), and Kliph Scurlock (The Flaming Lips), the debut EP features Kouyaté’s compelling and original mix of traditional Guinean songs with new Welsh lyrics.
N’famady has a new album currently in production, being recorded in Wales and Guinea. Look for N’famady to make his North American debut in 2022.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
LONDON, UK: Rich Mix, Mar 26
WESTON-SUPER-MARE, UK: Love’s Cafe, Apr 22
SWANSEA, UK: Ty Tawe, May 6
GWYNEDD, UK: Eisteddfod yr Urdd, June 4
PENARTH, UK: St. Augustine’s Parish Hall, June 17
GWYNEDD, UK: Royal Ship Hotel, July 16
GWEHELOG, UK: Big Love Festival, July 17
BARNSLEY, UK: Underneath the Stars, July 29
HOLT, UK: Holt Festival, July 30
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Cambridge Folk Festival, July 31
SIDMOUTH, UK: Sidmouth Folk Festival, Aug 3
DORSET, UK: Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, Aug 19
FAVERSHAM, UK: A New Day Festival, Aug 21
BELFAST, UK: Belfast Mela, Aug 28
BALAFÔ DOUMA TOUR (NEW DATES)
WREXHAM, UK: Ty Pawb, Oct 29
GLASGOW, UK: Hug & Pint, Nov 1
NEWCASTLE, UK: The Cluny, Nov 5
SHIPLEY, UK: The Live Room, Nov 6
LONDON, UK: Paper Dress Vintage, Nov 8
GUILDFORD, UK: The Star Inn, Nov 11
BRIGHTON, UK: The Rose Hill, Nov 12
LIVERPOOL, UK: Liverpool Philharmonic, Nov 15
BURY, UK: Bury Met, Nov 16
BRISTOL, UK: The Jam Jar, Nov 17
BRADFORD ON AVON, UK: Wiltshire Music Centre, Nov 18
CARDIFF, UK: Acapela Studio, Nov 20
BANGOR, UK: Pontio, Nov 25
ABOUT N’FAMADY KOUYATÉ
N’famady Kouyaté is an energetic young master musician from Conakry, Guinea, who relocated to Cardiff, Wales in 2019. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Kouyaté wowed audiences across the UK and Ireland during autumn/winter 2019/20 with his modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs and rhythms supporting Gruff Rhys on the Pang! album tour. N’famady’s primary instrument is the balafon, the traditional wooden xylophone, sacred to West African culture and his family heritage of the griot/djeli. In Guinea he founded ‘Les Héritiers du Mandingue’ a tradi-modern group that toured extensively in West Africa.
In the UK, N’famady has played both as a solo artist and with a full band line up, where his arrangements are a fusion of Mandingue African with jazz, pop, indie, and funk influences provided by an ever-evolving collective of musicians. Instrumentation includes balafon, keyboards, drumkit, djembe, guitar, bass, kora, doundoun, congas, saxophone, trumpet, & callabash. N’famady’s performances create amazing atmospheres and vibrations wherever he goes, and audiences are charmed by his infectious enthusiasm and joy.
HORIZON LINE SPECIAL EDITION: LANA GAY WRITES ABOUT SKYE WALLACE
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickHave you ever said everything is fine and actually meant it?
While giving context to her new song, Skye Wallace paralleled many people’s pandemic existence, especially my own: “We often say everything is fine when it’s not. On the other hand, we can tell ourselves ‘everything is fine’ just to keep going.”
Like many, on what felt like March 385th 2020, I decided to get organized during lockdown. After sorting my closet, kitchen and an old file shred-a-thon, it was time to tackle organizing the thousands of photos on my laptop. It was then, while going back to the earliest iPhone photo backups, that I had to come to terms with all the pictures I forgot to delete of… stove tops. My old stove in Vancouver, with the ridiculous word poetry magnets, my friend’s tiny gas stove in Barcelona from when I visited in 2018, the sleek stove of an AirBNB in Silverlake with the kettle taken off the burner, and the same kitchen stove I’ve used in my current apartment over and over again. I was always safeguarding, for reasons I can’t explain, to confirm that the appliances were off. It started out as looking at the knobs or touching the cold burners. Over time that wasn’t enough to confirm what consumed me – that if I’d accidentally left a stove on I could start a fire and hurt someone.
I can’t pinpoint when the obsessions began, nor why I need to confirm a stove won’t magically turn itself on. Even if I haven’t used it for days, every time I leave the house I check. And check. On the good days, weeks or months, just once. The others – it can be a whole song and dance routine of touching burners, counting touchpoints, and, since getting an iPhone, on the very bad days when I am crippled by a turned off stove, I take a photo. Whenever I have a moment of panic, I can check the photo and know that everything is fine. Another checking compulsion, sure, but one that works really well.
God forbid I ever have a fireplace.
Around the same time during the pandemic, and with far fewer photos of stovetops, Skye Wallace was having different conversations with herself about mental health and life as a musician caught in the gray area of a locked down existence. According to Wallace, she wrote “Everything is Fine” with friend Alex Marusyk as a mutual coming together, not just to bare her soul during a time of anxiety and depression, but to try to assess what was going on and attempt to get things under control. To try to find that control without knowing how, and without losing touch with herself in the process. “It cracked me open in a way that I needed, I wanted to connect with people; everyone collectively had been through so much” said Wallace in conversation, “Knowing the honesty in rawness and vulnerability can strike a chord, the goal was also to find comfort in the process, to be softer to yourself and find happiness, joy, or even simply find a way to get out of the cyclical spirals in your head.”
While some may wear a metaphorical mask when doing this work, for the video, Skye decided to don a real one, adding levity to gloom by becoming a sad swamp thing looking for small wins. Keeping vulnerability as the undercurrent was important: “I wanted people to see it and laugh and not be more bogged down…while making sure to acknowledge the pieces of the process people go through. To [connect] with this creature and character, the way they go about life. It’s the melancholy and the lightness after the storm. To go about a day with depression and do everything within your toolkit and in your power to try to be okay.”
For the last 14 months I’ve added to my toolkit. It now includes a therapist specializing in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, working through Exposure and Response Prevention, and slowly learning to sit with uncertainty (stove and all) during a very uncertain time. For many years I hid behind the colloquial use of OCD as an adjective, as it’s unfortunately become common to describe everything from tidiness to having specific quirks or preferences as ‘OCD.’ Though those could be compulsions, compared to casually tossing around a disorder, my reality of living with one is far from just being particular or having an organized calendar. It can be overwhelming, exhausting and at times crippling. But like common responses to “‘How are you?”’ If we told people what we were really feeling, would they want to know? Or do we tell ourselves and others ‘everything is fine,’ put on a metaphorical mask, and keep going? I’m trying to take the mask off now. Maybe it’s not about being fine, it’s about trying to get better.
“Storytelling is everything,” says Wallace, “Our stories are at the core of connecting. Wanting to listen and wanting to be heard, it’s incredible.”
Listen to “Everything Is Fine” along with songs by Begonia, Otis Redding, and Jungle in our playlist, curated by Lana Gay.
SIX SHOOTER MANAGEMENT WELCOMES N’FAMADY KOUYATÉ
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickWEST AFRICA MEETS WALES IN N’FAMADY’S MUSIC
NEWLY ANNOUNCED BALAFÔ DOUMA UK TOUR IN FALL 2022
Photo Credit: Andrew Lewis/JMP
Six Shooter Inc. (management company) welcomes N’famady Kouyaté to the artist roster, managed by Chris Wynters. Originally from Guinea, now based in Wales, N’famady’s dazzling balafon playing is the foundation of his exuberant and skilful mix of West African Mandingue with jazz, pop and beyond.
N’famady recently announced a substantial UK headline tour in Oct-Nov 2022, which adds to a busy spring and summer festival season. The past year, N’famady has been on a whirlwind breakout trajectory, with buzz, opportunity and excitement for the future.
“I first saw N’famady perform in an online showcase put on by some friends of mine at Focus Wales, a Covid era discovery,” says Wynters. “I was instantly blown away by his skill as a player and his charm as a performer. We met first over Zoom and have now met in person. It was wonderful to finally see him perform live in Glasgow last month, in front of a sold-out crowd at Theatre Royal, part of the excellent programming at Celtic Connections.”
N’famady released his debut EP, Aros I Fi Yna, in June 2021. Recorded in legendary Rockfield Studios, with guest appearances from Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach), and Kliph Scurlock (The Flaming Lips), the debut EP features Kouyaté’s compelling and original mix of traditional Guinean songs with new Welsh lyrics.
N’famady has a new album currently in production, being recorded in Wales and Guinea. Look for N’famady to make his North American debut in 2022.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
LONDON, UK: Rich Mix, Mar 26
WESTON-SUPER-MARE, UK: Love’s Cafe, Apr 22
SWANSEA, UK: Ty Tawe, May 6
GWYNEDD, UK: Eisteddfod yr Urdd, June 4
PENARTH, UK: St. Augustine’s Parish Hall, June 17
GWYNEDD, UK: Royal Ship Hotel, July 16
GWEHELOG, UK: Big Love Festival, July 17
BARNSLEY, UK: Underneath the Stars, July 29
HOLT, UK: Holt Festival, July 30
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Cambridge Folk Festival, July 31
SIDMOUTH, UK: Sidmouth Folk Festival, Aug 3
DORSET, UK: Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, Aug 19
FAVERSHAM, UK: A New Day Festival, Aug 21
BELFAST, UK: Belfast Mela, Aug 28
BALAFÔ DOUMA TOUR (NEW DATES)
WREXHAM, UK: Ty Pawb, Oct 29
GLASGOW, UK: Hug & Pint, Nov 1
NEWCASTLE, UK: The Cluny, Nov 5
SHIPLEY, UK: The Live Room, Nov 6
LONDON, UK: Paper Dress Vintage, Nov 8
GUILDFORD, UK: The Star Inn, Nov 11
BRIGHTON, UK: The Rose Hill, Nov 12
LIVERPOOL, UK: Liverpool Philharmonic, Nov 15
BURY, UK: Bury Met, Nov 16
BRISTOL, UK: The Jam Jar, Nov 17
BRADFORD ON AVON, UK: Wiltshire Music Centre, Nov 18
CARDIFF, UK: Acapela Studio, Nov 20
BANGOR, UK: Pontio, Nov 25
ABOUT N’FAMADY KOUYATÉ
N’famady Kouyaté is an energetic young master musician from Conakry, Guinea, who relocated to Cardiff, Wales in 2019. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Kouyaté wowed audiences across the UK and Ireland during autumn/winter 2019/20 with his modern interpretations of traditional West African Mandingue songs and rhythms supporting Gruff Rhys on the Pang! album tour. N’famady’s primary instrument is the balafon, the traditional wooden xylophone, sacred to West African culture and his family heritage of the griot/djeli. In Guinea he founded ‘Les Héritiers du Mandingue’ a tradi-modern group that toured extensively in West Africa.
In the UK, N’famady has played both as a solo artist and with a full band line up, where his arrangements are a fusion of Mandingue African with jazz, pop, indie, and funk influences provided by an ever-evolving collective of musicians. Instrumentation includes balafon, keyboards, drumkit, djembe, guitar, bass, kora, doundoun, congas, saxophone, trumpet, & callabash. N’famady’s performances create amazing atmospheres and vibrations wherever he goes, and audiences are charmed by his infectious enthusiasm and joy.
HOPEFUL OUTLOOKS: SKYE WALLACE RELEASES “EVERYTHING IS FINE” WITH VIDEO
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickSkye Wallace’s latest single, “Everything Is Fine,” emerges from the deep to remind us that saying it doesn’t always make it so (but it sure can help). This repetition of a new mantra, which also serves as hook and outro, offers much needed reassurance. “Everything Is Fine” is accompanied with a beautiful video that follows the day in the life of a creature trying to get by in Toronto.
Join ‘Swamp’ Wallace as she tenaciously battles her way through a regular day, facing challenges and finding joy in small wins. Watch the new video below.
ELLIOTT BROOD RELEASE NEW “OUT WALKIN'” VIDEO
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickCheck out their newly added Canadian dates to see if their ‘Out and About’ Tour is coming to a city near you!
OSHAWA, ON: Biltmore, May 5.
WATERLOO, ON: Maxwell’s, May 6
OTTAWA, ON: Club SAW, May 7
TORONTO, ON: Lee’s Palace, May 12
SARNIA, ON: Paddy Flaherty’s, May 13
PETERBOROUGH, ON: Red Dog, May 14
HAMILTON, ON: Bridgeworks, May 15
WINNIPEG, MB: Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, May 26
REGINA, SK: The Exchange, May 27
SASKATOON, SK: Capitol Club, May 28
CALGARY, AB: Dickens Pub, May 30
RED DEER, AB: Bo’s Bar, May 31
EDMONTON, AB: The Starlite Room, June 1
VANCOUVER, BC: Hollywood Theatre, June 3
VICTORIA, BC: Capital Ballroom, June 4
CREEKSIDE, BC: Creekside Theatre, June 8
OLIVER, BC: Venables Theatre, June 9
NELSON, BC: Spiritbar, June 10
GOLDEN, BC: The Rockwater, June 11
LETHBRIDGE, AB: Owl Acoustic Lounge, June 12
KINGSTON, ON: The Grad Club, June 18
HARROW, ON: Harrow Legion, June 24
HARROW, ON: Harrow Legion, June 25
PAISLEY, ON: FreeWaves Concert Series – Paisley Blues Festival, July 2
KINGSVILLE, ON: The Greenway Jam, Aug 13
For all tour dates and tickets, visit elliottbrood.com
WE’RE HIRING A PUBLISHING & SYNC MANAGER
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickWe seek a new member of our publishing/sync team, who will be key in performing day-to-day duties. Responsibilities will be as follows:
Catalogue management in DISCO:
Create and distribute monthly sync newsletter to music supervisors
Creative Pitching
Licensing
Assist with publishing agreements
Manage the maintenance of publishing websites (Six Shooter and High Priestess) including news, banners, playlists and audio maintenance
Other duties as required.
Requirements:
– Experience in the Canadian music industry for 5+ years
– Proficiency with music copyright, sync licensing and publishing admin
– Exceptional attention to detail, solid time management skills and the ability to multi-task and prioritize, while staying ahead of deadlines in a fast-moving environment
– Ability to work independently and in a team environment, a self-starter
– Excellent written, interpersonal, verbal communication, and networking skills
– Proficiency with DISCO
Nice to Haves & Attributes:
– Education related to the music business
– Optimistic with positive energy and outlook
– Creative writing and marketing analytics experience
– Passionate about music, publishing and sync
– Thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment; a team player, willing to pitch in whenever needed
Job Specs:
Position: Publishing & Sync Manager (part-time)
Reporting to: Director Publishing
Hours: Monday-Friday, 4 hours per day (Timings TBD)
Location: Open to in person in Toronto, Hybrid or remote.
Compensation: Salary range from $20-$25/hour to be determined commensurate with experience, and health benefits.
Application Deadline: March 18, 2022
Please Apply Here.
No phone calls please.
We invite applications from all qualified candidates, especially from people who identify as racialized, Indigenous, differently abled, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Upon request, suitable accommodations are available under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act for applicants invited to an interview.
WE’RE HIRING A TOUR MARKETING AND MERCH MANAGER
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickFounded in 2000, Six Shooter Records is a full-service music universe with label, publishing and management companies built on a mandate of working with artists committed to a lifetime career in music. Our primary goal is artistic excellence. With over 20 years of experience, Six Shooter pushes the boundaries of art and innovation with a critically acclaimed roster that defies classification, a growing team that values integrity, expertise and professional advancement, and a steadfast commitment to artist development and longevity. Six Shooter Records is headquartered in Toronto, read our full land acknowledgement here and our Code of Practise here.
Ours is a fast-paced, friendly environment with an enterprising culture. We seek a new member of our artist management team, who will be key in performing day-to-day duties. Responsibilities will be as follows:
Coordinate all marketing/advertising materials for Six Shooter managed artists primarily focusing on marketing assets for tours, festivals, and performances.
Coordinate social media accounts for Six Shooter managed artists.
Coordinate merchandise design, manufacturing and online/offstage sales.
Other duties, as assigned.
Requirements:
Nice to Haves & Attributes:
Job Specs:
Position: Tour Marketing and Merch Manager (Full-Time)
Reporting to: President, Six Shooter Inc.
Start Date: As Soon As Possible
Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00AM – 6:00PM (EST)
Location: Toronto, ON
Compensation: Salary range from 45K-55K to be determined commensurate with experience, and health benefits.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2022
Please Apply Here and attach any documents in PDF format within the application.
No phone calls please.
We invite applications from all qualified candidates, especially from people who identify as racialized, Indigenous, differently abled, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Upon request, suitable accommodations are available under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act for applicants invited to an interview.
WE’RE HIRING AN ARTIST MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickFounded in 2000, Six Shooter Records is a full-service music universe with label, publishing and management companies built on a mandate of working with artists committed to a lifetime career in music. Our primary goal is artistic excellence. With over 20 years of experience, Six Shooter pushes the boundaries of art and innovation with a critically acclaimed roster that defies classification, a growing team that values integrity, expertise and professional advancement, and a steadfast commitment to artist development and longevity. Six Shooter Records is headquartered in Toronto, read our full land acknowledgement here and our Code of Practise here.
Ours is a fast-paced, friendly environment with an enterprising culture. We seek a contract member of our management team, who will be key in performing day-to-day management duties. Responsibilities will be as follows:
LIVE
MARKETING/SOCIAL MEDIA
ADMINISTRATION
Requirements:
Nice to Haves & Attributes:
Job Specs:
Position: Artist Management Associate (Full-Time, Contract with a possibility of permanence)
Reporting to: President, Six Shooter Inc.
Contract Period: April 2022 – Sept 2023
Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00AM – 6:00PM (EST)
Location: Toronto, ON
Compensation: Salary range from 45K-60K to be determined commensurate with experience, and health benefits.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2022
Please Apply Here and attach any documents in PDF format within the application.
No phone calls please.
We invite applications from all qualified candidates, especially from people who identify as racialized, Indigenous, differently abled, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Upon request, suitable accommodations are available under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act for applicants invited to an interview.
SINGING PRAISES: THE DEEP DARK WOODS COVER TUCKER ZIMMERMAN’S “HANGIN’ LOOSE”
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickThe Deep Dark Woods’ Ryan Boldt pays tribute to a songwriting hero in his take on Tucker Zimmerman’s “Hangin’ Loose.” Updated with psychedelic keys and Boldt’s wavering vocals, this new version casts a contemporary yet somber light on the traditional original, creating an eerie sense of solitude in true Deep Dark Woods fashion.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER: WILLIAM PRINCE & SERENA RYDER JOIN TOGETHER ON “SING ME A SONG”
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickWith the release of “Sing Me a Song,” William Prince and Serena Ryder cement a blossoming friendship and collaborative relationship that has been growing since they shared the stage to perform Prince’s “The Spark” at the 2021 JUNO Awards. In “Sing Me a Song,” the two master songwriters add together call and response verses that create a powerful equation for the magic of young love’s early encounters.
Follow their journey to Massey Hall where the two will co-headline on April 1, 2022. Find your tickets here.
WAKE UP! THE DEAD SOUTH RELEASE NEW VIDEO FOR “CHOP SUEY” WITH COMPANION EPS
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickThe Dead South have released Easy Listening for Jerks, Parts 1 & 2. While these two collections of songs come from vastly different genres, they’re united both in their themes of struggle and adversity, and by the band’s telltale bluegrass blueprint.
To further satisfy your senses, the band has released a new video for “Chop Suey.” Check out the video below to watch their take on the jittery System of a Down original.
TRUE COLOURS: SKYE WALLACE RELEASES NEW VIDEO FOR “TRUTH BE TOLD”
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickIn her new video for “Truth Be Told,” the song’s theme of radical self-acceptance comes to life as Skye Wallace rocks out in a kaleidoscope of colourful identities, each one fitting like a glove. It takes guts to embrace who you are, flaws and all.
TANYA TAGAQ RELEASES “COLONIZER” VIDEO
/in NEWS /by Meghan BorthwickDonate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society HERE
“Tagaq boldly uses her place in the country’s cultural firmament to challenge its very foundation.” – Pitchfork
Listen to Tagaq’s full interview on NPR’s Morning Edition here
“Everyone is responsible for the system that is in place right now; those who benefit from the genocide of Indigenous people are still guilty.” – as told to Line of Best Fit
Tanya Tagaq, whose new album Tongues arrived last week, delivers a new video for “Colonizer,” which witnesses the destruction of symbols and perpetrators of the residential school system. Unrelenting and direct, “Colonizer” is a song that distills 500 years of settler, church and government wrongdoing into 4 words: Oh. You’re. Guilty. Colonizer.